More Democrats than ever now support Hillary Clinton’s bid for their party’s presidential nomination.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of Likely Democratic Primary voters - taken last Thursday evening and last night following Clinton’s big win in Saturday’s South Carolina Primary – shows that 53% would vote for the former first lady if the party primary were held in their state today. Senator Bernie Sanders is a distant second with 31% of the vote, while nine percent (9%) still prefer some other candidate. Six percent (6%) remain undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

This latest survey is the first time Clinton has risen above the 50% mark since the Democratic debates began in October. The survey also suggests that Sanders’ support has peaked and that Clinton is winning over voters who were previously undecided.

After her disappointingly close finish in Iowa and her resounding loss in the New Hampshire primary, Clinton counted on the minority vote in subsequent primaries and caucuses to firmly reestablish her as the favorite. So far, that support has delivered her a win in the Nevada caucus and a huge victory in South Carolina.

The former secretary of State earns 72% support among black Democratic primary voters nationally, compared to 48% of whites and 49% from other minority voters.

The survey of 541 Likely Democratic Primary Voters was conducted on February 25 and 28, 2016 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 4.5 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

But her real weakness continues to be voters under 40. She trails Sanders 45% to 38% among Democrats in that age group. Among middle-aged Democrats, by contrast, Clinton has 58% support, and she earns 69% of the vote among those 65 and older.

Fifty-six percent (56%) of registered Democrats favor Clinton vs. 27% who prefer Sanders. Among unaffiliated voters who can vote in open Democratic primaries in some states, the senator from Vermont posts a 57% to 36% lead.

When it comes to which candidate voters trust more on key issues, Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump leads when it comes to the economy, job creation and immigration.
Clinton has held her lead on social issues but has widened her advantage on the environment. The two are virtually tied now when voters are asked whom they trust more to handle national security.

The survey of 541 Likely Democratic Primary Voters was conducted on February 25 and 28, 2016 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 4.5 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

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